Airborne-YouTube

Weekend Near-Miss Pitted Skyhawk v. CRJ

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating a
runway incursion Friday evening in Allentown, Pennsylvania
involving a general aviation aircraft and a Chicago-bound regional
jet airliner.

At 7:45 p.m. on September 19, a Cessna R172K (N736GV) was on a
landing roll on runway 6 at the Lehigh Valley International Airport
when the pilot was instructed to exit the runway at taxiway A4.
Mesa Airlines flight 7138, a CRJ- 700 (N506MJ), already instructed
to position and hold on the same runway, was then given clearance
by the same controller to take off.

During the takeoff roll, the Mesa crew heard the Cessna pilot
say that he'd missed the taxiway A4 turnoff and ask to exit at
taxiway B. The Mesa crew saw the Cessna ahead on the runway and
aborted the takeoff at about 120 knots, swerving around the Cessna.
The Mesa crew estimated that they missed colliding with the Cessna
by about 10 feet.

Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and there were
no reported injuries to the 60 persons aboard the jet or those
aboard the Cessna.